Death is part of life and therefore it is inevitable . Although it may be difficult for us to assume, we will all end up dying one day.

Some people suffer serious problems in assuming this fact, in addition to feeling real fear when thinking about anything that is related to death and the unknown, especially where we are going to end up: the cemeteries.

Coimetrophobia is the phobia of these places and everything related to them . In this article we will deal more thoroughly with what this specific phobia is, as well as detailing its symptoms, some causes, interference in the life of the affected person and treatments.

What is coimetrophobia?

Coimetrophobia is the irrational fear of cemeteries and related aspects such as corpses, tombstones, thanatopraxy , zombies, among others. Although it may seem that this specific phobia should be common, the truth is that feeling a high degree of fear towards cemeteries is not as common as might be expected.

Cemeteries, in themselves, are places that generate a certain amount of discomfort and, in most cultures, the afterlife is seen as something unsettling. However, coimetrophobes not only express fear of cemeteries, but actually show very exaggerated emotional and physiological responses to this type of place.

This phobia can be very harmful to the life of the sufferer, since the mere thought of a funeral, seeing the obituaries or having to pass near a cemetery are situations that generate a lot of anxiety. In addition, physical problems such as a sudden increase in heart rate and hyperventilation can occur, along with panic attacks.

It is common for people who have coimetrophobia to also manifest other phobias related to death and the unknown , such as acclaphobia (fear of the dark) and fasmophobia (fear of ghosts).

Symptoms

As in most phobias, the main symptom in coimetrophobia is anxiety . Depending on the degree of severity, those suffering from this type of phobia can change their daily habits, such as going to the supermarket or meeting friends, to avoid at all costs having to pass in front of a cemetery. These examples are cases of avoidance behaviour.

Anxiety can occur just by thinking about a cemetery or being near one, and is accompanied by muscle stiffness, dizziness, tremors, tachycardia, hyperventilation, nausea, dry mouth and sweating, as well as reaching the point of a panic attack. You may also become dumb and have disorganized speech.

Affect on daily life

Although going to the cemetery is not an everyday task nor does it turn out to be the main place of leisure in most people’s agenda, the truth is that not being able to or approach one can be very problematic .

Although with the expansion of the cities the cemeteries have been moved to the outskirts, there are still some that are in the center. It is common for coimetrophics to avoid passing through the same street where there is a cemetery, tombstone shop or cremation site.

This can be detrimental to the well-being of the person with coimetrophobia, since, to give an example, if his or her friends decide to stay close to the area where there is a cemetery, the person will simply not want to stay, something that can harm his or her sociability in the long run.

One of the situations in which this phobia can be most clearly manifested is at a funeral . This type of event is very important socially, given that it is a sign of affection and respect for the deceased. Not attending this type of celebration is not socially well regarded, in addition to the fact that the coimetrophobic person who has been absent may feel bad for not having gone to say goodbye to a loved one.

Possible causes of this phobia

There is no clear cause for the development of this phobia . Genetics and environment, as in most phobias, may be factors that influence the appearance of coimetrophy.

Because death is treated as a taboo and negative subject in Western cultures, cemeteries are perceived as extremely negative places, and this is an important cultural cause in the development of phobia.

Fear of the unknown, myths about cemeteries and associated urban legends can contribute to the development of coimetrophy. This phobia also seems to be closely related to the fear of being buried alive.

Traumatic events can also be a condition for developing the phobia. For example, having seen a horror movie as a child or having had an unpleasant experience while attending a funeral.

Treatment

As this is a rare and very specific phobia, there are no specialised manuals for its treatment , however, general treatment for anxiety disorders is available.

Among the most common treatments for phobias is exposure. The goal of this type of therapy is to desensitize the person to what makes him/her afraid, in this case cemeteries.

A good way to work this is to get the person to gradually approach a cemetery, to be able to see movies where there are scenes that take place in such a place or to talk about death. Through cognitive-behavioral therapy, techniques can be taught and skills perfected to work on cemetery anxiety.

If necessary, the most useful pharmacology to work on phobias are anxiolytics and antidepressants. These drugs help to decrease the person’s anxiety, as well as prevent panic attacks from occurring. It is also a good idea to reduce the consumption of substances with caffeine, such as coffee and tea, given their physiological activation effects.

Mindfulness, guided meditation, yoga and exercise have all been shown to work on phobias, such as fear of graveyards. Mindfulness allows us to work on full awareness, and teach the person that we are indeed all going to die one day, that it is something normal and that we should not be afraid of it. Meditation and yoga allow the body to relax when there is a stressful situation associated with thinking about cemeteries.

Exercise, especially that which activates the circulatory system, such as the anaerobic system, helps to de-stress, as well as secreting endorphins in the brain that induce a feeling of well-being and calm.

Bibliographic references:

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.
  • LeBeau RT, Glenn D, Liao B, Wittchen HU, Beesdo-Baum K, Ollendick T, Craske MG (2010). “Specific phobia: a review of DSM-IV specific phobia and preliminary recommendations for DSM-V. Depress Anxiety.
  • Rachman, S.J. (1978). Fear and Courage. San Francisco: WH Freeman & Co.